Exploring color space: an investigation of heteroaryl-substituted benzobis[1,2-d:4,5-d′]oxazoles and their application in organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract

This study investigates the use of heterocycles to design electrochemically stable, multi-colored dopants for use in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). To this end, 24 furan- and thiophene-based semiconductors were synthesized using the novel benzobis[1,2-d:4,5-d′]oxazole (BBO) core. The optical and electronic properties of these materials were predicted using computational tools and verified using electrochemical and spectroscopic data. The fluorescence quantum yields for the BBOs ranged between 33–98%, while all relaxation lifetimes occured in <5 ns. Solution-processed OLEDs were formed using the BBO materials, producing a series of dopants that achieved deep blue-to-orange electroluminescence. As a result, four deep blue devices and a color temperature tunable white OLED were formed using various BBO dopants with brightness values suitable for display technology.